The Best Birthday Gift Ever

Our son is about to turn 12, and two months ago he said he wanted to talk to us about his birthday.

We thought, "Here we go - what does he want this year?" Instead he shocked and amazed us by saying that he had everything he needed and he would like to donate the money we would have paid on a present for him to charity.

We were so proud of him so last week we researched charities on the net and he found Heifer International. Oskar loved the idea of buying an animal so he chose a pig and some honey bees. He is having a small lunch after basketball this Saturday with friends to celebrate his birthday. He asked for no presents, but if his friends wish they can donate $5 each towards buying another animal through Heifer.

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The end of hunger isn’t a fairy tale

Welcome to the Heifer family. Donors, volunteers, recipients and our teams around the world share a common goal: To end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. It’s a lofty goal, but we know it's achievable. Together we are the family that can create this change.

Togetherwe can makecows fly

See stories of how lives are being transformed around the globe through Heifer's work in more than 40 countries.

“All you have to do is give your change to make a change in the world.” Perla, business letter excerpt
Every year, the freshman class at Los Angeles High School of the Arts (LAHSA) raises money to support Heifer International through a semester-long project called “Change for Change.” LAHSA is a theater arts-focused school that uses project-based learning to integrate the arts and academics and give students real-world experiences.

This shirt is a fundraiser for Phi Sigma Pi - Gamma Sigma at Missouri State University. All the money raised will go to Heifer International to buy an animal for one of Heifer's project participants. Giving an animal is like giving someone a small business, providing wool, milk, eggs and more. Animal donations can provide families a hand up, increasing access to medicine, school, food and a sustainable livelihood. Depending on how much money is raised we can buy a pig, goat, cow, chickens, ducks or even a water buffalo!! Please help us raise as much money as possible by buying this awesome Pi Day Shirt!! Please visit the following link to purchase a shirt: http://teespring.com/pi-day-shirt-profits-go-to-he.

A few weeks ago, Heifer International heard from Anne Nixon-Ellery with St. Charles Borromeo church. She briefly described an upcoming event that her church was hosting with a link to the focus of their Heifer International fundraiser.
"Hello! We are having A Living Gift Market on March 4th to raise money for this amazing charity. I have also designed a tee shirt; all profits will go to Heifer. It's available for a few more days: http://teespring.com/heifer-fundraiser."
Needless to say, we had to learn more. I reached out to Anne and she shared the following with me:

At Canyon Creek in Austin, Texas we were studying how the economic system works and wanted to raise money to make the world a better place. Our students voted for Heifer International. They then got busy and made items that they could sell. Many were recycled projects or crafts that kids would like. They learned about supply, demand, cost, production, advertising and sales. I am thrilled that these 62 students raised $ 1,500 for you. You have inspired them to be entrepreneurs and to give back to the world around them.

Dear Heifer International....
First of all, I would like to say how inspired I am by your organization's work. As a young child, my parents used to read Faith the Cow by Susan Boomer to me, and my mother also has donated to Heifer for my and my cousin's Christmas gifts every year. Through these actions, my parents have fostered in me an immense respect for Heifer International, and have helped me to learn the value of generosity and importance of huger relief. I am truly enamored with this organization's work, and I am especially inspired by the concept of "passing on the gift."
For a project in an art class this semester, I made a drawing inspired by Heifer and would like to share it with you.
Thank you very much,
Lily W.
Clark School for Creative Learning Class of 2015

As a musician, and oboe teacher at the University of Arkansas, I wanted to find a way to help people in need through music. Every year, I join with my colleagues from the University--Dr. Moon-Sook Park, Dr. Robert Mueller, Dr. Tomoko Kashiwagi, Dr. Er-Gene Kahng, and Dr. Lia Uribe--and we present a concert called "Bees for Bach" with our music students from the University of Arkansas. The concert is at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, and the students all learn some music by Bach to present to the audience. Members of the audience donate to Heifer International for the gift of beehives. This year we raised $948 to send to Heifer--enough for the gift of over 30 sets of bees! The best part of the experience is helping the music students learn that they can use their art in this way.
- Theresa D.

Last fall over 30 at-risk teens in the Courage to Change program in Denton, TX, raised over $800 for Heifer International’s Read to Feed Campaign. They learned that they can make a difference and bring awareness to world poverty and hunger through reading. They even wrote a rap about it:
While we read
We can help feed
The children in need
One book at a time
It stays on my mind
Every book I’m reading
I’m raising a dime…
The teens read 276 books and, thanks to their many sponsors and donors, they were able to raise $824. The residents then worked together to decide what they wanted to “buy” with their money. A good discussion took place as they decided how to use their money. They learned how animals can provide food and income to families in need and decided to buy a share of a heifer, a goat, a sheep, a share of a pig, and 4 flocks of chicks. They purchased tree seedlings which help improve the soil and provide animal food, fencing and firewood. They decided to get an irrigation pump to provide easy access to water for a community. And lastly, they decided to send a girl to school to give money for training and animals to a family so that the family can earn income needed to pay for their daughter’s school fees. The residents realize that everyone does not have the same education opportunities that they have and many felt strongly about helping a girl be able to go to school. Thanks to Heifer International and Read to Feed, the teens learned valuable lessons about how they can make a difference in the world.

Dear Mr. Ferrari,
I got your letter and I am so happy that I helped. I want to do more and help others, but not keeping things to myself. I am sending $20 from someone I love for you to use where it is needed most. I am also sending a small toy for a boy and girl so that family can have food and something to play with. I am so happy you are serving people in need.
Sincerely,
Ciana

Emmanuel Episcopal Church has supported Heifer International since 1991! During the 2014 holiday season, Heifer received a handwritten note along with a sketch of their donation designations--a llama and honeybees. During the month of November, the Sunday School students at Emmanuel Church raised $180 selling handcrafted ornaments! Each hand-painted wood or glass ornament was sold to congregant members for $5 each. The students--about 10 of them--range in age from 1st grade to middle school, with a few helpful students in high school as well.
To the Sunday School class at Emmanuel Episcopal Church: Your hard work does not go unnoticed! Not only are we so humbled by your fundraiser, but by your continued support of Heifer's mission! Together, we have power over poverty.

Dear Heifer,
My name is Nashira. I am the teacher of a 3rd/4th grade homeschool group. In one group we have four children over 5-years old and four children under 5.
We have been doing the Read to Feed program and it is AMAZING! It was so inspiring to see how eager the children were to help others. The children have really connected with the ideas of community and global community. Thank you so much for sharing this program with us. They loved Beatrice's Goat! We also watched videos from the website.
Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity to help the children connect with their global community.

"My granddaughter, Simone, is 8-years old. She told me several months ago that she wanted to have a lemonade stand to make money for Heifer International. We baked instead, and Simone collected $850 to "help people." She made a flyer (see above), scooped and measured, cracked eggs and mixed, then packaged the cakes and cookies we baked, decorated them with stickers of farm animals, and delivered them to the many people who were excited about her project. It has been a wonderful experience for her.
After carefully perusing your catalog, she has decided to purchase
- a heifer
- a sheep
- a goat
- a trio of rabbits
- honeybees
- a flock of chicks
She's already talking about next year's project and people who have heard about it are on the list to purchase Grammy and Simone's cakes and cookies for Heifer International.
Happy holidays to you,
Cyndy S."

"Hello,
One of our friends, Maggie Keats, purchased a goat and beehives in honor of my children, TJ, Samantha and Lily. It was such a wonderful gift and helped to spark the conversation of hunger around the world. My 7-year old, Samantha, created this drawing to reflect her image of life without hunger.
Thank you for helping people around the world.
Sincerely,
Karen B."
Thank you for sharing your artwork with Heifer International, Sammy!

Alvina had recently returned home after a trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ghana. She said that the trip made a lasting impact; she's traveled to many different places, but she said there was something about Africa that touched her in a way no other place had. Some of the children she met in Ghana, Zimbabwe and South Africa made 4 to 5km trips to school each day. As a former teacher, this left her awestruck.

This is North Star Chiropractic Center's sixth year donating to Heifer International! Every year we host an event called "Doctor with a Heart" where we donate $10 per patient visit on the Monday following Valentine's Day. Also during that week we invite new patients into our clinic to receive a $30 consultation, exam and x-rays. The $30 they pay for that visit is also donated to Heifer. We are confident donating to Heifer because of the sustainability of the contribution we make. We like to donate goats every year because a goat empowers a family by providing a food and/or income resource. Also, if the goat reproduces, the gift can be passed on to others in the community. Last year we were able to raise enough money for seven goats!
As we like to say, nothing says love like a goat!

"Last Christmas (2013), Marian Niece of Boise, ID gave each of her ten great-grandchildren, ranging in age from 3- to 13-years old, a piggy bank and the idea of saving their change for a year. She then wanted them to put the money together to buy an animal for the Heifer Project. The cousins met again this Christmas (2014) and discovered they had enough money for three animals! Marian is 100-years old and still has wonderful ideas!"
Editor's note: While speaking with Marian on the phone, we discovered that she also gave each great-grandchildren a stuffed animal from Heifer International. Each grandchild was so excited to find out how much money they had saved throughout the year. Everyone here at Heifer International was incredibly humbled to discover that Marian's belief in our mission stretches to her great-grandchildren as well; Marian's generosity and ingenuity is a lesson to us all!